The first 'West Walian Western' has international ambition

The Welsh filmmakers behind short film Ambition, starring multi-BAFTA award-winning actor Simon Russell Beale, are now in the final stages of production and are seeking financial backing to finish it.

With interest already garnered from international festivals, the film’s director Ryan Hooper and screenwriter Matt Redd have launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund post-production, seeking contributions from supporters across the industry and film fans alike who can help ensure the growing potential for the film is realised.

In Ambition, Simon Russell Beale plays a lone toll booth operator in a remote part of Pembrokeshire, who faces off with shotgun-wielding farm girls who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Beale, the star of The Death of Stalin and TV horror series Penny Dreadful appears alongside Aberystwyth’s Gwyneth Keyworth (Game of Thrones, Black Mirror) and Nina Toussaint-White (Doctor Who, Uncle).

The cast shot Ambition with director Ryan Hooper, from Ebbw Vale, at Pinewood Studio Wales in Cardiff, and the scale of the project has now grown beyond the creators’ original aspirations.

“When Simon agreed to come on board, we were blown away as we never thought he’d say yes, but he read the script and told us he wanted to it. All of a sudden the scale of the project changed overnight” said Ryan.

“We’d been awarded money for production through Ffilm Cymru Wales’ Beacons scheme, but then we realised the film would be bigger than we’d imagined before."

The filmmakers have enlisted the support of post-production house Dragon DI and Cardiff’s Hoot Studios to complete the film, with musician Gavin Fitzjohn, who has co-produced tracks on the new Manic Street Preachers album, composing the score.

“The amount of film talent in Wales is incredible, and we’re lucky to have worked with so many talented people on this project.” said Ryan, who, alongside Screenwriter Matt Redd, from Cardiff is set for an exciting few months ahead.

Matt said “The buzz around the film has been amazing, and we’re already talking to an international festival about the world premiere, having shown them a rough cut of the film.”

“All we need now is some help to get us over the line!”

A trailer for the film, alongside a video about the Kickstarter project and donation link can be found here.

With generous donations already being received, the Kickstarter campaign has a goal of £4,000 to be raised by 3rd May 2018. Exclusive merchandise, thank yous during the film’s credits and seats at the film’s cast and crew screening are just some of the rewards for those getting involved via Kickstarter.